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The Big Sleep Details

1946 DVD Certificate PG.gif
  • Rated:
  • 70
  • from 7355 members

Chandler's first novel introduced private detective Philip Marlowe, and THE BIG SLEEP set the standard for private detective movies. Down-at-the-heels private eye Marlowe gets the assignment to clean up after the daughters of a dying millionaire, but dead people have a nasty habit of trailing in their wake. The famously .. Read more

Starring Humphrey Bogart, Charles Waldron, Lauren Bacall, Dorothy Malone
Director Howard Hawks
Genres Thriller

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The Big Sleep

Chandler's first novel introduced private detective Philip Marlowe, and THE BIG SLEEP set the standard for private detective movies. Down-at-the-heels private eye Marlowe gets the assignment to clean up after the daughters of a dying millionaire, but dead people have a nasty habit of trailing in their wake. The famously tortuous story line (Hawks supposedly asked Chandler to clarify a plot point about the murder of the family chauffeur; the novelist hadn't a clue as to who did the deed) seems beside the point when Bogart and Bacall are onscreen. The final release was recut to include more of their scenes together. A must! Remade in 1978.

Starring Humphrey Bogart, Charles Waldron, Lauren Bacall, Dorothy Malone, Elisha Cook Jr Jr., Elisha Cook, Regis Toomey, John Ridgely, Martha Vickers, Charles D. Brown, Sonia Darrin, Louis Jean Heydt, Peggy Knudsen, Tom Rafferty, Bob Steele
Director Howard Hawks
Studio WARNER HOME VIDEO
Run time DVD: 1 hr 50 mins
Certificate DVD Certificate PG.gif
Collections 100 must-see movies
Genres Thriller
Language English
Dubbed French, Italian
Hearing-impaired English, Italian
Subtitles Arabic, Bulgarian, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish
Released DVD: 15 May 2006
Production year: 1946
Format DVD

  • Critics' reviews (3) of The Big Sleep

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  • 3 stars out of 4

    Inextricably complicated, moody thriller from a novel whose author claimed that even he did not know 'who done it'. The film is nevertheless vastly enjoyable along the way for its slangy script, star performances and outbursts of violence, suspense and sh

    • Halliwell's Film Guide
    • Posted 02 Mar 2006

  • "...The chemistry between Bogart and Bacall is so blatant it's no surprise to learn they were married the same year. A joy..." -- 5 out of 5 stars

    • Total Film
    • Posted 11 Mar 2005

  • Most helpful member's review of The Big Sleep

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  • 8 out of 8 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 4 stars

    Only One Oscar!

    Bogart is so brilliant in everything he does that its a shame he only recieved one Oscar for 'The African Queen'. With 'The Big Sleep', there is no exception, Bogart fizzes and crackles with charisma and charm as if he's constantly sharing a private joke with the audience, making light of any situation he finds himself in and remains a clear relation to the audeinces understanding of the film. We see what he sees and go where he goes. And through the ever-expanding maze of intrigue and mystery the plot boasts we never once tire of his company. At times the narrative is a little rushed, too many names are thrown at you too often and the revelation may require a large attention span to fully understand and care whats going on. However, despite its flaws it remains a powerful and charismatic film noir, a must-see for both fans of the genre and Bogart.

      • ASHLEY ROBERTS from Kent, England
      • Posted 28 Jul 2004 11:10

  • Most recent members' review of The Big Sleep

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  • 4 out of 6 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 5 stars

    Who killed the Chauffeur?

    Often cited as the definitive Film Noir, the original Big Sleep, has it all. The film contains unexplained murder, the seedy underbelly of 1940's America, drinking, a femme fatale, dialogue sharper than a stilletto and a plot with more twists than a lemon rind in a martini.

    Humphrey Bogart is everyones celluloid personification of Philip Marlow, the original private eye - a tarnished knight getting paid $30 a day to deal in other peoples troubles. Lauren Bacall is the beautiful Catherine Sternwood, high living, hard drinking spoilt brat.

    But what makes this still a wonderful movie to watch is the way in which, just like the novel, you are placed right in the middle of Chandler's 1940s Los Angeles. Of course, it helps that the film was contemporary and Chandler was involved, but it goes to show that you don't need special effects, or even colour to make a riveting film.

      • Mertoun from Scotland
      • Posted 03 Jan 2004 22:35

  • News and features

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    Guess Who

    On screen chemistry explained

    • 27 Apr 2004

    Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy have the best screen chemistry ever, according to top scientists. The Royal Society of Chemistry tested the silver-screen couple using a special formula - instead of in the lab or box-office and Oscar success. The nation's top chemists said that - like any chemical reaction - film chemistry needed two contrasting ingredients which combine to make something with "all the right stuff". John Emsley, author of the report "Vanity, Vitality and... Read more

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Rating breakdown

7,355 Member ratings
  • 100
1,346
  • 90
945
  • 80
1,662
  • 70
1,212
  • 60
1,027
  • 50
492
  • 40
261
  • 30
162
  • 20
164
  • 10
84

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      • Chandler's first novel introduced private detective Philip Marlowe, and THE BIG SLEEP set the standard for private detective movies. Down-at-the-heels private eye Marlowe gets the assignment to clean ...